A large segment of the world's population experiences Christmas--a time of year replete with a variety of traditions and rituals. One very traditional task performed in preparation for Christmas and the holiday season involves stringing lights around the house and on the Christmas tree. A display of festive lights not only advances the spirit of the season, but also prompts fond memories for most observers. Unfortunately, all too often the person responsible for stringing the lights will be less than completely pleased with the memories prompted by the lights. These tainted memories result from an assortment of difficulties frequently encountered in performing this task. In addition to battling the elements, the person stringing the lights must also overcome the complications created by the light removal and storage techniques utilized the previous year. Invariably, light bulbs have been crushed during storage and the electric cord is seemingly hopelessly tangled. The correction of these problems is an exasperating chore, and requires a fair amount of time so precious during the fleeting holiday season.
Attempts to minimize the difficulty of stringing lights in any given year are likely to fail due to the timing wherein they must be effectuated. Preventative measures must be taken almost a full year before the fruits of the painstaking light removal and storage efforts are realized. Moreover, after an exhausting holiday season, little energy is left to insure that the lights are properly stored for the next year. And naturally, there is always a possibility that the person removing the lights is aware, whether it be consciously or otherwise, that someone else will be charged with stringing the lights the following year.
Existing solutions to storing Christmas tree lights are inadequate for a variety of reasons. Many people simply coil the lights like a rope and bind them together with the light cord. In the short run, this light storage technique is quick and effective. However, the exposure of the bulbs to external forces and the resulting bulb breakage during the initial storing and year long storage makes such a storage technique less than ideal. In addition, the stringing of the lights around a tree the following year is made awkward. Prior to beginning, the string of lights must be straightened to ensure that no knots in the cord are present. Otherwise, if after beginning the stringing process a tangled cord is discovered, a person stringing the lights may be forced to cease the decorating process and remove the light string so the knot can be unraveled. Then, because the lights are already straightened and rest on the ground, each light must be individually secured to the branches of the tree. If a person attempts to simply place the lights on top of the branches without securing the lights thereto, the weight of the remaining lights not yet hung may pull down these placed lights. Other people attempt to replace the lights in the original packaging from which they came. However, those who have opted to use this method of light storage can describe the daunting task of reinserting a mass of disorganized lights and cords into the tight and orderly arrangement from which they were removed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,917,323 and 2,984,347 disclose devices for use in storing Christmas tree lights. Similar to the problem encountered in storing Christmas tree lights in the package from which they came, orienting the lights in these storage devices is time consuming and therefore undesirable. Moreover, no protection of the lights and cord from outside forces acting against the lights during initial storing and year long storage is provided.